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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #104240
Title: ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE AND SICKNESS IN BABY PIGS

Author
item Carroll, Jeffery - Jeff Carroll
item Dyer, Cheryl
item Matteri, Robert

Submitted to: Animal Science Progress Report
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/12/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Chilling is recognized as a major contributing factor associated with neonatal morbidity and mortality in the pig. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the interaction between environmental temperature (ET) and endotoxin-induced hypothermia (chilling) in neonatal pigs. At 24 h of age, 36 male piglets were placed in environmentally controlled chambers maintained at 64.4 deg F (18 deg C) or 93.2 deg F (34 deg C; n=18 pigs/ET group). Rectal temperatures (RT) were obtained prior to an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of saline (Cont; n=7/ET) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 150 ug/kg; n=11/ET) and every 15 min for 3 h. There was a TIME x ET x LPS interaction (P<0.0001) such that pigs at 64.4 deg F reacted more adversely over the 3 h period to LPS than those at 93.2 deg F. Overall, RT for LPS pigs was lower (P=0.004) than that of Cont at 64.4 deg F. At 93.2 deg F, there was no effect of LPS on RT (P>0.88). Serum cortisol (CS) was elevated in all LPS pigs regardless of ET (P<0.04) however, the response was greater for LPS pigs at 64.4 deg F (196.8 ng/ml) vs 93.2 deg F (93.8 ng/ml). These results provide evidence that ET can be utilized effectively to prevent LPS induced hypothermia in neonatal pigs.